I love cats and have had cats for most of my life. One in particular, Tabitha, an orange tabby, helped me when I was dating. This cat and I were very tight! She got me through my divorce and was a source of great joy and comfort in my life. I was not going to give her up for anyone! When it comes to dating with pets, we were a package deal!

So it was a must have that my future husband like cats and be willing to live with cats. Fortunately, Tabitha liked people and usually sat in the middle of the room when people were congregating there.

When a new guy would be coming to pick me up for a date, I would pick up Tabitha and plop her on the couch that was visible once a man walked up the stairs from the front door into the living room. She was very conducive to this. Then I would watch for his reaction!

If he said, “Oh you have a cat” in an indifferent manner, I knew it was not going to work. Some guys came in and said, “Oh, you have a cat!” in an enthusiastic manner and may have gone over to pet her on the head. That had potential!

My husband Alan went up to Tabitha- and exclaimed, “You have a cat!” and picked her up. Then I knew he was a keeper! We have been married for 12 years this summer.

Unfortunately Tabitha is gone at 15 years. We now have another orange tabby, Shayna that we enjoy very much even though she runs away when she sees new people!

If you have a pet, what can you do to find out if your date is amenable to your pet? And if you don’t have pets and are dating someone with a pet, be aware of your reaction to dating with pets – it could be make or break it for your relationship!

Happy Dating and Relating,

Intentionally yours,

Coach Amy

PS. This dating with pets’ story is one of the fun stories I tell in my Motivated to Marry Dating Success workshops and coaching program. To learn more go to www.MotivatedtoMarryDatingSecrets.com. The coaching club is on promotion through Friday, 2/28. Use “readyforlove” to save 50%.